Starting and controlling internal-combustion-engine-driven launches and vehicles.



, No. 846,694. 1 \PATENTED JAN. 8, 19017.. I

v M. W. I STARTING AND CONTROLLING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE DRIVEN?LAUNCHES AND VEHICLES.

APPLIOATION FILED r2124. mos.

WITNESSES;

I mvzn'roa useful Improvements UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE; MARSHALLWILFRED HANKS, OF'MADISON, WISONSIN. STARTINGAND CONTROLLINGINTERNAL-COMBUSTION-ENGIN E DRIVEN LAUNCHES AND VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 8, 1907.

Application filed February 24, 1995. Serial No- 247,197

To all whom it may concern:

13c it known that I, MARSHALL WILFRED HANKS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at' Madison, in the county "of Dane and State ofWisconsin, have invented new and in the Starting and Controlling ofInternal-Combustion-Engine- Driven Launches and Vehicles, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of engines inwhich the initialrotation is brought about by some external power. This initial rotationis generally brought about by placing a detachable crank directly on theend of the engine-shaft, and by giving this crank a turn rotation isimparted to the engine. In launches and vehicles this method is not onlytroublesome, but is decidedly inconvenient, as it does not allow theoperator to start his engine and guide the launch or vehicle from thesame place.

I am aware of engine-starting devices that have been operated from apoint convenient to the steering and controlling levers in launches andvehicles; but they have not always proved successful on account of thetendency to confuse the operator because of unnecessary levers, or theprinciples used were too complicated to allow the making of a goodserviceable device.

, It is the object of the present invention to combine suitable meansfor starting, controlling, and stopping internal-combustion engines withthe guiding or steering devices common to launches and vehicles carryingthis class of enginein such a manner that-the number of levers will bereduced to a minimum, and the controller will be simple, positive ofaction, and of durable construction.

With acontroller of this sort'the operator can not only start and stophis engine from the operating-seat, but has complete control over thespeed and. guidance of the launch or vehicle.

To 'thisend I drawings accompanying this specification.

This device provides 'for a combination steering-wheei andengine-starter in which the steering-wheel is normally interlocked withthe steering-gear. The engine is started b simply pushing thesteering-wheel forabout one inch and then giving it a turn. Upon therelease of the forward pressure on the steering-wheel it automaticallyrecoiled around the cylinder.

have provided a I device shown in elevation in Figures 1 and 2 of theturns to its normal position, thereby disconnecting the engine-startingdevice and again interlocking with the steering-gear.

Fig. 1 shows the controller partly in elevation and partly in sectionwith a sprocket-- chain 7 connecting it with the shaft 8 of aninternal-combustion engine.

lever connecting rods 13 and 14 also lead from the controller to thegas-controlling and spark devices on the engine. As the engine andcontrolling devices pertaining directly thereto are not a part of theinvention, they have not been shown on the drawings. 2 shows the frontelevation of Fig. 1 with the broken sprocket-chain 7 connecting thecontroller and engine-shaft 8.

Referring to Fi 1 of the drawings, 1 is the main supportingame, to whichthe hollow supporting-bearing clutch-cylinder and sprocket 4 are mountedso as to rotate on, the hollow supporting-bearing 10. The steering-drum3 is rotatively mounted on the clutch-cylinder 5. The clutch-cylinder 5is provided with an annular flange 5'', carrying oppositely-projectingpins 19 19, adapted for alternate engagement with holes respectively inthe steering drum.

4, said cylinder being slidable 3 and sprocket on the bearing and movedbyhand-presl sure on the wheel 2 to disengage the pins 19 from the drumand bring the pins 19 into engagement with the sprocket-holes, themovement being against the action of a spring 6, Pressure being removed,the'spring 6 expands to retract the cylinder and cause 19 and drum 3.- Srocket 4 has no longitudinal play, and t e steering-drum 3 does Gas andspark Fig.

10 is rigidly secured. The

rengagement of the pins not move longitudinally by virtueof the spring 6holding it against the main supporting-frame 1.

The steering-wheel 2 and the clutch 5 are rigidly fastened togethersotheyrotate as one. A pressure on the steering-wheel 2 to the left,parallel to the axis of rotation and sufficient to compress the coiledspring 6, will move the clutch from the drum 3 to the sprocket 4. A

rotation nowof the wheel 2 will cause the s rocket 4 to rotate, as wellas the enginesliaft 8', as the engine-shaft 8 and sprocket 4 areconnected by a suitable chain. When the engine starts, neither thesprocket 9 nor the chain 7'can rotate by reason of a pawland-ratchetmeans 9 or any-other suitable device well known to the art interposed.be-

and 12 (shown in Fig. 2-) through the connecting-shafts13 and 14.These-connecting with reference to the numbers on the left of vide meansfor automatically bringing the loo ely mounted in a slot out in thesupportand back when the spring dpushes the wheel back into lace, butdoes not rotate with the is moved to the left by reason of its beingpushed by the wheel 2, the forty-five-degree upper side of the slotmoves along the pin 17 necting-cables for moving'the rudder.

tween the shaft 8 and the sprocket 9, which allows an interlocking onlywhen the speed of the sprocket 9 exceeds that of the shaft 8. A

In order that the controllermay be complete in every detail, the.gas-regulating or gas-mixing valves on the engine and also. the devicefor changing the point of igniting the explosive charge in theengine-cylinders are connected with the gas and spark levers 11 shafts13 and 14 pass through the hollow suporting-shaft 10. A movement of thegas ever 11 about its axis willchange the quantity or uality of gasflowing to the en-. gine, an this quantity or quality will be relativelyindicated by the position of the lever the dial plate 15.1, Inlikemanner the point of ignition of the charge will be relativelyindicated' by the position of the spark-lever 12.

It is also advisable and important to pro-.

spark-controlling devices to the starting positions before engine isstarted, as otherwise theengine may kick back and startrotating intheopposite direction from that intended. A device for accomplishingthis is shown in section in the right of Fig.1. The key 16 is ing'-caring 10, so that it' travels forward with the wheel 2 when engine isto be started wheel. '1 e spark-lever rod 14 asses to one side of thekey 16, as shown in t e drawings. Cut'in'the key 16' is a V-slot 16,into which projects a pin 17, ri idly fastened into thespark-controlling she 14. When the key-16 side of the slot comes incontact with the pin 17, and as there is no longitudinal play to this init moves up, rotatingthe shaft 14 and oringing the spark-lever 12 to thezero position. When the pressure on the wheel 2 is released, the keymoves to the right, and the until it comes to rest, with the pin in theupper left-hand corner. 7 A movement now of drawing the spark-lever toNo. 5 on the dial 15 will bring the in 17 to the position shown on the 65 i 1. Other d vices for starting internal-combustion en ines by meansof a steering-gear may readi be worked out, and the one shown in t edrawings accompanying this specification is simply one of many goodmethods, and I desire it to be understood that my invention is notlimited to specific details of construction any further than suchdetails are specifically set forth in the claims.

I claim as my invention 1. In an internal-combustion engine, thecombination with a steering means,.of a start ing means, means forcontrolling the pointof gas ignition in the engine-cylinder, means ac-.tuating' the ignition-controlling .means to bring the point of ignitionto the starting position by the operation of the starting means and anactuating element movable into posi tion for connection with saidsteering-means and said starting means and ignition-com trolling meansalternately.

' 2. In an internal combustion enginedriven launch or vehicle, steeringmeans, en.

glue-starting means, and-an actuatin element for said means movable intopositions for connection with said steering means and starting meansalternately.

3. In an internal combustion enginedriven launch or vehicle, steeringmeans, engine-starting means, and an actuatin rota table element forsaid means movab e into positions for connection with said steeringmeans and starting means alternately 4. The combination of asteering-shaft a starting member connected to the engineshaft, and asteering-wheel movable lengthwise on its shaft and having means toengage the starting member by such lengthwise movement and operate thesame by its rotation. I

5. The combination of steering means including-a wheel, a support alongwhich the wheel is movable, and engine-starting means actuated by saidwheel in one position of the latter. v

6. In an internal combustion enginedriven launch or vehicle, thecombination with a hand-wheel, a steering-drum and a starting means,said hand-wheel bein movable into position for connection wit saidsteering-drum and starting means alternately.

7. In an internal combustion enginedriven launch or vehicle, ahand-wheel, a

steerin -drum, a starting means, and a springpresse sliding clutch fixedto the wheel and arranged to engage the drum and startmg meansalternately.

' MARSHALL WILFRED HANKS.

Witnesses:

J. F. O. PYRE, LUoIEN S. HANKS.

IIC

